Factors Affecting College Attendance

Three factors that may influence a high school graduate's decision to attend college are considered: (1) his ability, (2) the cost of attending college, and (3) the socioeconomic status of his parents. The results, based on a probit analysis, indicate that factors (1) and (3) are strong influences on the probability of attending college. Among the socioeconomic variables, however, family income is the least important influence on college attendance. The low income elasticity of demand for college implies that unrestricted income transfers to the low income population would not be an effective way of increasing their rate of college attendance